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Sinn Féin Senator Rose Conway-Walsh has said that Fianna Fáil criticism of the latest setback in the National Broadband Plan is 'hypocritical'.

The Mayo Senator said:

“Telecoms communications in this State has been a disaster over the last 20 years. Fianna Fáil started the rot nearly 20 years ago when they privatised Eircom.

"Since then the roll-out of new telecommunications technology has been at the mercy of private companies and at the whim of the markets.

"As with so much else, private companies providing services are mostly focused on the major cities. What happened yesterday, while it is a major setback, is a symptom of this bigger problem that started years ago.

“Rural Ireland is years behind Dublin and other major cities in terms of reliable and regular access to high speed broadband.

"I am outraged that so many small businesses were unable to expand or that new businesses were forced out of rural areas because they could not guarantee unhindered access to fast speed broadband.

"Broadband is essential to infrastructure. It cannot be tinkered around with or re-packaged, it simply needs to be delivered. I have heard nothing from the Government and Fianna Fáil that tells me they understand this fundamental point.”